Govt shuts down mining commissioners' offices

Government has shutdown the mining commissioners' offices throughout the country amid reports of a corruption probe into allocations of mining claims.

Reports from across the country were that there was heavy police presence at all the mining commissioner's offices, including in Harare where The Zimbabwe Mail news crew was on Tuesday  denied entry by a security guard "because the commissioner's offices (were) not offering (any) services".

Sources in the Mines ministry said police were under strict instructions not to allow officials to move documents out of the offices as the parent ministry had ordered an audit into allocations of mining claims.

Deputy Mines and Mining Development minister Fred Moyo could neither deny nor confirm the shutting down of the offices and the investigations into allocations of mining claims.

"We have agreed as a ministry not to comment on the matter. You would rather speak to their employer, the Public Service Commission (PSC)," said Moyo.

However, it is understood that the lock-out was meant to necessitate an "internal audit that could net a lot of officials".

"Police have been called in to make sure nobody leaves with a document because there is a lot that has been going on, including corruption and double allocation of mining claims," said one of the sources in Gweru. "They are going to appoint a provincial mining engineer who will report to the permanent secretary on his or her findings."

In Harare, at least 30 members of the administration staff in the mining commissioner's office were transferred "to other ministries".

A source said police were manning the Harare offices, but The Zimbabwe Mail last night could not verify this after a security detail on the ground floor denied them entry.

"They are not working and you are not allowed to go in. It is true that police are manning the place, it is locked. You can try tomorrow morning (today), maybe they will be working," said the gate-man.

Mariyawanda Nzuwa, PSC chairperson, declined to comment  last night when conducted by phone.

"We do not comment on government business over the phone because we deal with security matters. You would need to talk to me face to face," Nzuwa said.

Just like the land reform programme, the mining sector has been beset by empowerment problems as hitherto marginalised blacks have tried to break into the lucrative, but capital intensive industry.